Description

If completing audits feels like a race against the clock and you start drafting the report when all the work is completed, you are not alone. This course shows project managers how to use professional judgment to estimate timeframes and manage resources. By connecting the overall audit objective and risk assessment, auditors will develop comprehensive audit plans, stronger findings and a report message that flows directly from the work performed. Instead of backing into dates or scrambling at reporting time to develop the report message, auditors will learn to develop and adjust audit plans, reallocate resources, evaluate evidence, and anticipate reporting needs throughout the audit cycle. Whether you are managing a solo engagement or leading a team, you do not have to stay stuck in reactive mode. Through practical exercises, real-world scenarios, and proven planning techniques, auditors will learn how to shift their mindset from “finish then write” to “write while you work.” By the end of this course, auditors will:

• Expand critical thinking skills
• Improve forecasting of project milestones
• Reduce rework
• Allocate and manage resources
• Deliver timely and impactful audit results

Learning Objectives:

• Define the interdependent phases of an audit and their impact on time and budget
• Compare the relationship between performance measures and managing audit resources
• Recognize the relationship between the four types of overall audit objectives and how each drives the report message from day one
• Define how to integrate the development of precise audit sub-objectives and tests that align with the elements of a finding and budgeted hours
• Identify the steps and key factors to estimate realistic timelines that align with planned audit scope and methodologies
• Identify best practices to avoid scope-creep and digging rabbit holes that compromise audit timeliness and stakeholder confidence with audit results
• Determine how to evaluate project management steps to adjust audit plans that either support or undermine effective and timely audit reporting

Program Knowledge Level: Basic NASBA Field of Study: Auditing (Governmental) Formal Learning Program Type: Group Learning Format: Webinar or In-Person Who Should Attend: Governmental auditors who seek to learn new skills and have responsibility for executing the planning, fieldwork, and reporting phases of an audit engagement Prerequisites: None Advance Preparation: None Recommended CPE Credit: 8 Hours Instructor: Frank W. Jones, CIA Questions? You can find our FAQ here.